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Does Your Government Really Care if You Become Disabled and Need Benefit Assistance?
Does your government really care if you are disabled? That's a
question that is becoming more and worthy of the public's
consideration.
Recently, I was on the phone with a disability claimant who
needs to have his reconsideration filed and I asked him if he
had been seen by any doctors recently. He gave the all too
common answer: "No, I haven't been able to go. My insurance ran
out a long time ago".
This is a very common situation. And I've heard it so much that
I've become somewhat desensitived to it. But...if you really
think about it, these situations (which ARE extremely common)
are horrendous.
Let me put on my examiner/caseworker hat for a moment. The
disability system is set up so that the prospect of being
approved for disability weighs entirely on a claimants medical
records. And not just on medical records, but on recent records
(aside from closed periods).
Well, ding ding ding (wake up bureaucrats, politicians, and
red-tape functionaries), if the process for eventually---we
hope---getting approved for disability benefits can take up to 3
years (I'm not pulling that number out of a rabbit hat
either----just call any attorney or non attorney practicing in
the raleigh north carolina area and they will sullenly confirm
this information), then how can a claimant be expected to have
decent medical record documentation by the time they get to a
hearing (a destination most cases will arrive at)?
Answer: an unacceptably large percentage of claimants won't (I
typically tell people to seek out a county health department,
free clinic, or even go the ER, if need be---but's let be
honest, that doesn't take the place of records generated via an
ongoing treating physician relationship).
Now, before I go on any further, I acknowledge the notion that
the disability system is not responsible in any way, shape, or
form for facilitating a claimant's access to medical care while
a case is pending in order to substantiate a claim (i.e. ensure
that records are in place to support allegations of disability).
But, even for those claimants who had mainstream
employer-provided health insurance, COBRA only lasts 18 months.
So, when the process can last 2 or 3 years, where does that
leave claimants? In a bad way, without a doubt. Not only are
they put in the position of finding it difficult to document
their impairments----to add insult to injury their conditions
will sometimes worsen as a result of having inadquate access to
medical care.
Now, back to the headline of this post. THESE HUGE WAIT TIMES
came into effect under the administration currently sitting in
office. So, do they care? Do they really care about those who
are least able to assist themselves?
I would have to say no. They do not.
I will leave you with this anecdote: about 2 years ago I tried
to assist one particular claimant whose situation was quite
miserable. He had no access to medical care and his living
conditions were beyond the pale. To try to help him, I contacted
the following agencies in his city (not my own area of
operation): the salvation army, catholic social ministries, and
urban ministries.
Want to know what I was told? They were out of funds. THIS WAS
IN FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR.
So, what does that say about the federal administration's
notions of faith-based charities taking up the slack from the
government cutting back: that it is essentially useless and
disingenuous rhetoric.
In addition to being a former disability examiner, I used to be
a food stamp caseworker, medicaid caseworker, and an afdc
worker, and I can tell you unequivocally that private charities
will never be able to fill any gap left behind by the feds, but
that's another conversation.
Now, why this article? Because there are changes in the works
that while masquerading as reform of the social security
disability system...will actually make the system more hostile
to disabled benefit applicants.
Chew on this as a parting thought. The people who are trying to
"reform" social security disability are the same people who
tried to (or are trying to, as the case may be):
1. bust the federal employees unions (and have to some extent
succeeded),
2. altered regulations regarding overtime compensation in a way
that was clearly hostile to workers,
3. are trying to limit the ability of mesothelioma victims to
seek compensation (the sick part part about this is that
mesothelioma has an incubation period of up to 40 years
following exposure to asbestos fibers and the diagnosis itself
is a literal death sentence----no one survives, even following a
pneumonectomy).
And these are just a few things.
So, to address the question we began with: does your government
really care if you become disabled and need immediate benefit
assistance to avoid falling into a financial abyss? Perhaps to
some extent...but, unfortunately, I would have to say, not
particularly much.
About the author:
The author of this article is Timothy Moore, who, in addition to
being a former food stamp caseworker, medicaid caseworker and
AFDC caseworker, is a former disability claims examiner. He
publishes information at Social Security Disability
Tips and Secrets which features a helpful and informative Social
Security Disability faq
Tim Moore
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